Foxfire
by Valk the Talk
Summary: Abandoned in Japan during a family business trip, Harry Potter learns that there's more to family than simply being related. It takes love, caring and in his case, a few tails. A tale involving interesting kitsune, in my own interpretation of them. Harry/OC, for now.
1. Chapter 1

Foxfire

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything kitsune related.

"English"

"Japanese"

_Thoughts_

Vernon Dursley was a man who hated many things. The wait time between him and his doughnut at the bakery down the road, the sound a motorbike made when it sputtered past his happily four wheeled auto, rain in general really (though one might argue he was in the wrong country to properly be able to complain about the frequency of rainfall), and many more annoyances small and large in measure. There were a few things that topped this list, however. _Charity_ and that ever blasted _magic_.

Harry Potter was both, and Vernon _hated_ everything to do with the brat.

After all, what decent hardworking sort would want to come home one night, experience a nice cup of tea, go to bed dreaming of promotions and a new Mercedes, only to wake up to find another mouth to feed whom you most certainly did not produce! And to top it off—the worst offence really—_it _was one of _them_. A freak. Something wrong happened in nature when this boy and his entire kind were born, yet he, _he!_ had to endure caring for the sad sack because of some note left in a basket. Absolute rubbish.

Four years of having to deal with bubbles coming from his brand new microwave oven that shorted out immediately after, and small objects zooming toward the little freak simply because he didn't get any of Dudley's toys. Not like he deserved any, what would a freak do with a toy anyway? Probably mutate it into something that'd destroy his hard earned house, that's what! Oh, he didn't hit the thing, probably get reported if he did. Didn't mean he couldn't make damn sure it knew it wasn't welcome there. If only there was a way to get rid of him…without the suspicion anyway…

*Six Months Later*

"Mr. Dursley, you really would be doing us quite the favor. It would be well looked upon, you know, come promotion time if you could do us this little errand on such short notice."

Vernon blinked hard as if what he was hearing was such an utter shock and impossibility he thought some of that blasted M word was being performed on him. It wasn't that he minded the short notice of it really, and the promotion thing was a wonderful little surprise but, even still…

"Japan?" That seemed to be the main stickler in his mind, as it slowly crunched the logic.

Mr. Lightsby sighed, closing his eyes briefly, but nodded in commiseration with his fellow Brit. "Japan. The company in question is absolutely interested, but refuses to receive a sample of our new drills via mail. They want someone who understands the product to present it to their board before purchasing anything."

"Not that I'm not appreciative of the, uh, position being offered here but…" Vernon started, still mildly in shock, as otherwise he would have just accepted straight away. Lightsby nodded in understanding.

"Why not Summers, or myself? Summer's was in an automobile accident earlier in the week, won't make it in for a few weeks most likely…and while I could do it myself, well…I'd rather not." He nodded as if it settled the matter. Leaning back in his executive chair, he narrowed his eyes at Vernon.

"Is this a yes or a no?"

Vernon quickly thought through his options, though it looked like he really only had one choice here. And just as he was about to grumpily accept, a thought struck him. He'd be out of the country, the tickets being paid for. All _four _of them. A slightly stiff smile appeared on his face, though a predatory gleam formed in his piggy little eyes at the idea. He reached forward with his hand, much more happy now.

"I accept."

*A Week Later*

Harry Potter was tired. Well, tired was a bit of an understatement. Utterly exhausted would be more the correct term as he stumbled along the mountainous road. He was sure the countryside here would be much more beautiful and enjoyable if it weren't pouring rain and he covered head to toe in mud from his numerous falls. His pants, way too large for his small frail body, pooled on his legs perfectly in order to trip him up all the more—partly the reason for his appearance.

"Ugh," he mumbled, tripping again into the slimy mud. Instead of regaining his footing, he simply stilled there on all fours as if waiting for something to happen. But his luck wasn't that good after all, was it? No one was coming for him, after all. No one in the world knew he was lost, exhausted, and utterly abandoned by anyone who knew him.

He'd been evicted from his hotel room by his Uncle Vernon earlier in the day, stating they were going to have a family-only meeting, which he was to butt out. He'd been told to return by five in the afternoon, just as the sun begins to set.

"Of course, it was a lie. Shoulda known they were gone," he mumbled, crawling to a tree he saw near the edge of the path. For some reason, it was shimmering slightly, almost like it had a cover of glitter all over it.

"Shoulda known they no want me," a four and a half year old Harry Potter started to cry out, tears intermixing with the rain. Groaning, he felt like he was hot but cold at the same time. His limbs getting heavier with each moment, he finally reached the tree, only for things to suddenly no longer make any sense. His last thought as darkness consumed him was simply: _where did these stone steps come from?_

* * *

"Ugh, get back here Yoko before I string you up by your tails!" A voice shouted in the rain, echoes of running footsteps splashing along the stone-laden shrine grounds. A figure running as fast as her small feet would carry her reached the steps, starting to descend the many steps in an attempt to escape her pursuer, giggling madly all the while.

"Not a chance, Riko-nee!" While neither girl was a fan of being soaked, Kiyoko was having entirely too much fun keeping her sister's favorite bracelet away from her at the moment, and did not mind getting a little wet to cause some chaos. All in a little sister's day's work, right?

"You won't _have_ a chance if you don't give it back, brat!" Kiyoko rolled her eyes at the threat, but moved a little faster in moving down the stone stairway all the same. Kiriko _did_ sound slightly madder than she'd been expecting…

Suddenly, as the end and barrier to the property approached, Kiyoko stopped dead in her tracks. Blinking away the rain, she thought she saw something at the bottom of the steps. Not that she had the time to continue her examination, as she lost her footing with the ground and went vertical. A surprised scream accompanied her sudden departure from Earth, until she came to rest hanging over her big sister's shoulder, facing away from the distraction.

"Hah, I've got you now you little terror! I swear, just wait until I tell mom about this. Making me soaked for no reason, I really—" Kiriko started, but Kiyoko interrupted her before she could get too far into it.

"Nee-san, what's that at the bottom of the steps?"

"Hmm? What are you on about now brat?" Kiriko growled lightly, a smack to Kiyoko's bottom making the girl Eep! in surprise, but she persisted through it.

"Just look, there at the bottom. I thought I saw something moving." Silence met her words for a few moments, before she was righted once again, off her sister's shoulder and back onto the wet stone. Looking up into her eyes, Kiyoko noted the concern in her sister's eyes.

"Kiyoko, run back to the shrine. Let mom know she may want to get a basin of hot water, tell her I'm bringing someone up. Go!" Squeaking in surprise at the sudden command and use of her full name, Kiyoko bolted up the steps back toward the shrine. Her only thoughts as she raced up the weathered stairs were with the dark shape that lay now unmoving at the bottom.

* * *

Kiriko quickly descended the rest of the steps, careful of her footing in the pouring rain while racing to the small unmoving figure at the entranceway. Kneeling down next to the body, she quickly turned it over, revealed the mud caked body of a small boy—couldn't have been any more than four or five years old—struggling to breathe. This did not look good.

Biting her lip, she softly lifted his body from the hard stone and instantly frowned, though she didn't stop to consider how dangerously light the boy was in her arms. Rushing back toward the shrine, she moved much faster than she had earlier when chasing her sister. Speed like what Kiriko was capable of wasn't needed against Kiyoko quite yet. She was still working on her third tail after all.

The shrine came into sight, and continuing on through the already open door, Kiriko noted the open futon near the center of the spacious room. The large statue of Inari loomed in the background, stalwart as ever but Kiriko ignored it, setting the boy down and hoping her mother would return soon.

Speaking of the devil, Kikyou bustled into the room with a few bottles, some bandages and a washcloth, while her Kiyoko behind her carried a large bucket.

"What's going on, Kiriko, who is this?" Her mother asked quickly but evenly, expecting an answer. She kneeled onto the hardwood floor, grimacing at the state of the small child.

"Honestly mother, I do not know. I found him at the bottom of the steps, unconscious. Kiyoko noticed him while we were playing around," Kiriko answered immediately, attempting to stroke the boy's matted fringe away from his mud caked face, but found it completely unresponsive. It was stiff, as if it was utterly filled with grime and needed a wash desperately.

"Let's get these clothes off him, then we can clean him up and see what need's doing," her mother said quietly. She extend a finger, letting the nail sharpen until it became a prime cutting tool, easily severing the oversized cloth shirt until the boy's chest was revealed. All three girls gasped lightly at the sight of the boys ribs poking out easily against his body, obviously severely underfed. Kiriko bit her lip harder, hating that her earlier suspicion had been confirmed.

"This is terrible, who could do this to a child? Is he homeless?" Kikyou questioned softly, arms moving around his shoulders to slip off the destroyed, stained garment and put it aside. Kiriko shook her head slowly, even as she grabbed the washcloth from the bucket, dipping it into the water. Beginning to clear off the mud, she voiced her thoughts, noticing the strange scar above his right brow.

"I don't think so, he doesn't look Japanese," Kiriko said slowly, raising her hand with the cloth to gently wash his dirty face. "What kind of foreigner this young would be homeless in Japan?"

Continuing to cut away his overly large pants, they found a few bloody scrapes, most likely from falls on the hard roads but ultimately nothing too bad injury wise. No, the most concerning thing was his constant shivering and lack of color—it truly did get cold during the fall months in Japan. Everything on him was completely soaked.

"Yoko, go grab a few towels and get the furo going. I'm going to need to remove his underwear and get him into a hot bath as soon as possible," Kikyou ordered quickly, grabbing one of the bottles and uncorking it with practiced speed.

"Yes kaa-chan, I'm on it," she said, running out of room toward the back. Kiriko watched her go for a moment, before returning to the boy. Her mother was pouring a vial of liquid into his mouth, massaging his throat slightly to help him swallow.

"Some of these potions should help, but really he seems to be mostly alright. If we can get him warmed up I think that'd fix his biggest problem right now." She sighed, shaking her head in, her brows scrunched in concern. "How long was he wandering outside in the rain?"

"I'd rather know the why, really. But I don't suppose we'll know anything until he wakes," Kiriko intoned sadly. For some reason, she felt drawn to the poor dear. Sure, it was a sad case of course, but there almost seemed to be more to it than simple concern. Kiriko shook her head, unable to place her finger on the prickle of electricity she felt when her skin touched his.

"And how did he get past the barrier? None of this makes any sense… " Kikyou trailed off, her thoughts beginning to distract her from the task at hand.

"Mother, can you hand me the disinfectant?" Kiriko subtly reminding Kikyou what they were in the middle of doing. Her mother blinked twice, then shook her head quickly, and then nodded.

"Of course. Here." She handed the smaller bottle over, while reaching for another potion. They continued their work in silence while waiting for the go ahead from Kiyoko. Kiriko hoped it would be sooner rather than later; his shivering seemed to be worsening.

It was a few hours later that found the boy cleaned up and sufficiently warm in a small white bathrobe that belonged to Kiyoko when she was very young. Next to the child on a fresh futon, Kiyoko kept an eye on him while her mother and her talked in the other room about possibilities, but even with all the guesswork there simply was no way to tell what the story was with the small boy. He had no identification on him, no money, no anything really. The only thing they found in one of the pants pockets was a small bent green army man. It was heart wrenching to suspect it was his only toy.

Kiriko, like her mother, couldn't fathom how he'd gotten through the barrier. Only kitsune were allowed passage, and even then only specific ones that were on the "guest list" as it were. While it wasn't certain the boy wasn't some other kind of yōkai, she was pretty sure he was a regular human. It was very curious. Granted, kitsune were natural tricksters—something Kiriko knew full well from her own abilities and past pranks on human and yōkai alike—so it was _possible _that this was some kind of crazy stunt… but she didn't think so. He didn't have any yōki at all—or at least any she could actively sense. At five tails, she was quite the gifted kitsune for her young age, as strong as her mother already despite being 200 years younger, so she was no slouch at detection. So she doubted it was some "neighbor" attempting anything nefarious.

Walking into the room, she saw that Kiyoko looked like she was about to pass out on top of the boy if her wavering eyelids and swooning body was any evidence. Sighing, she moved over to her and shook her shoulder slightly. Startled, she whipped around.

"Yoko, go to sleep. I'll keep watch on him," Kiriko spoke softly, nodding at the boy whose breathing luckily had evened out over the night. He looked much better than the quivering mass they'd found outside the shrine earlier.

"Okay nee-san. Thanks," Kiyoko sleepily intoned, getting up with some effort. She wandered back toward her room in the back of shrine, leaving Kiriko alone with the slumbering child.

She looked down at his baby face, his lips slightly parted to breathe. He looked so cute nestled up against the white of the futon and bathrobe with his black hair sticking up all over the place, quite the contrast from earlier when it had been caked down by mud and dirt. Almost without realizing she was doing it, Kiriko softly stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. She marveled at the softness of it despite the obvious hardships he'd endured tonight and no doubt previously in his life. Leaning over him slightly she ignored the tingles running down her arm, suddenly wondering what color his eyes were. She giggled at the sudden thought of simply opening his eyelid to sate her curiosity, but obviously refrained from indulging the passing fancy with a flick of one of her tails.

A groan met her ears, causing them to twitch. She looked closer and noticed movement, signs that he was finally waking. To satisfy her curiosity, she moved so that she was sitting directly next to him, her face angled to match his. Suddenly, his eyelids fluttered open.

Green. A sea of green met Kiriko's deep blue eyes, but it wasn't simply the color that bore into Kirko's mind, it was the _intensity_. Things began to move in slow motion for Kiriko, the entire room lost color for her, she was simply bathing in the beautiful jade green that were this boy's eyes. Suddenly, the crawling, tingling sensations she'd felt earlier peaked; her head jerked back at the force of the scream.

Pain, pain nothing like she'd ever experienced before ripped through her body as it forcefully began to pull and condense her power into a specific location—her tails. Slowly, without really knowing how she knew, a sixth tail slowly grew from her body, forcefully elevating her power above her mother's. Not that she could really focus on that. All she knew now was the pain of her yōki becoming denser and more powerful with no warning, all of it rushing through her body to the point forming her newest appendage. She heard footsteps and shouting around her, but there was nothing she could do but hang on for the ride.

Finally, after what felt like eons, but could have only been a minute at most, Kiriko relaxed forward, staring half lidded eyes back into the gaze of the terrified boy beneath her. She felt her heart clinch at the sight of his fear, and knew she'd have to do something to ease his pain.

Leaning forward slowly as not to scare him, she spoke softly, her hazy blue eyes gazing deeply into the green pools beneath her.

"I am yours, boy. Yours forever, as you are mine. Never forget this vow," she intoned smoothly, though it felt like the words came not from her but a million miles away. Why was it getting so dark in here? Slowly, she completed the distance and placed a soft kiss on his lips, barely a butterfly's touch.

With that done Kiriko smiled sleepily, and the completely exhausted kitsune curled up next to him, falling asleep in mere moments with a large smile on her face.

* * *

Harry Potter had woken up in many places before in many different manners. With his aunt and uncle severely disliking him—which he now believed to be utter hate with the whole abandoning him in a foreign country thing—he had done all he could to stay away from the displeased eyes and unpleasant looks they tended to send his way when he was around. Which meant he'd find himself waking up outside under the stars on the grass, in a tree, behind the bushes, and various other locations around the yard and neighborhood.

This had to be the first time, however that he'd awoken to see someone he'd at first thought to be an angel, and then only to watch said angel reel back and scream in what seemed to be agonizing pain. He was absolutely petrified. Had he somehow caused this? His uncle was always telling him how everything always seemed to be his fault one way or another.

After another short bit, the "angel" stopped screaming, only to move forward back to looking into his eyes, making his breath catch. Harry hadn't really had a whole lot of time to appreciate things in the world yet, other than the small pleasures in life here and there: his small army man toy, playing with one of the neighbor's puppies before being chased off, seeing his first rainbow in the sprinklers on a hot day in summer, things like that. However, when she spoke…whatever she said, it was like he could feel it in his chest, and he just _knew_. Then she kissed him, just barely a touch, smiled a beautiful smile and literally went to sleep right next to him. He thought about gaping before he realized he already was.

More speaking that he couldn't understand came from another part of the room, where he took his eyes away from the "angel" that he now realized had straight red pointed ears with white tips on top of her head along with several red fluffy tails behind her. A couple more women were in the room with him it seemed, both looking a lot like his very strange friend who was now cuddling next to him seemingly without a care in the world.

"Um, hello?"

The other two twitched, looking back at him and the other woman next to him, before moving closer. Slowly, they both kneeled near him, the one who looked older slowly checking over the happily sleeping woman.

"Hello there," the older one spoke softly but firmly, her eyes still on the other woman while continuing to speak with him, "what is your name, young one?"

"Harry Potter, ma'am," he spoke just as softly, not wanting to wake the woman who'd been very strange a little bit ago. "Is—is she okay?"

The woman's hand glowed slightly with what seemed a dark purple light, before vanishing into the night. A sad smile appeared on her face when she faced him to answer.

"She'll be alright, though thank you for the concern." She adjusted herself a bit, straightening her strange robe, which gave Harry a few moments to inspect his… saviors? Is that what they were?

The older woman next to him was very human-like, if one ignored the dark blondish pointed ears on her head and the same colored tails behind her. Her eyes, the color of rubies, also had a slight slit to them, like the cats around Ms. Figg's house. Harry also noticed that her hands had sharp nails on them, more dangerous looking than any humans. She had that same smile on her face that seemed to show worry but happiness at the same time.

The younger one's ears were orange, and she only had two tails, but seemed infinitely more curious. Her chocolate eyes were wide, staring at Harry as if she were absolutely fascinated by his… well he hadn't done anything yet as far as he knew, but that didn't seem to lessen her awe any.

"My name is Kikyou, and this is my daughter, Kiyoko," she stated, pointing at herself, then the orange furred one, who didn't even look up at being addressed. "Now, the sleepy one next to you, her name is Kiriko. I—I have some questions for you, if that's alright, Mr. Potter?"

Harry suddenly worried. He wasn't really supposed to answer questions from strangers… but then the Dursley's had abandoned him, so what did it matter now?

"Okay," he answered shyly, nodding for additional effect. Kikyou smiled and nodded in return.

"Thank you. Now, if I may ask, how did you arrive at our shrine? Were you lost? Where are your parents?" His eyes clouded over at hearing that, and noted she frowned shortly after.

"Um, well…" he hesitated and looked away, biting his lip to keep the forming tears inside. He felt a soft hand on his forehead again, smoothing over his fringe. Glancing back, he found Kikyou looking over him with her forehead scrunched up in concern. Sighing, he knew he had to tell them something.

"My parents are dead, so I went to live with my aunt and uncle. They don't like me very much for some reason, call me freak. Vernon was on a trip for his job, and he told me to go away from the room for a bit. When I came back they were gone, no note or anything. They just left me here," Harry replied in the most dead sounding voice he could use. Something, anything to get rid of the pain of abandonment.

A sudden rush of words exited Kikyou, drawing his attention from his story to her face. She looked quite scary with her teeth gritted in a snarl, some of them looking much sharper and pointed than he remembered his own being. A sound which sounded like Kaa-chan came from the other smaller girl, Kiyoko he remembered now. Visibly calming, Kikyou's face softened when she looked back to Harry.

"I'm sorry for that Mr. Potter, but abuse and family abandonment is anathema in our culture. What you're… relations have done is something that cannot be forgiven, at least in my eyes." Harry tilted his head a bit at the word he didn't recognize, which she seemed to realize.

"Anathema means set apart from, often meaning something held in a bad or evil way. Meaning we would never accept anything like what those things have done to you."

"Ah, I see. I just thought something was wrong with me. No one ever seemed to care," he said sadly, remembering many a day where the neighbors simply pointed and turned up their noses at him.

"Well, those people are evil. No child should ever be treated that way, and there's no excuse for it," Kikyou answered back, still stroking his hair. It was nice, calming even. The silence dragged on a bit before Kikyou spoke again.

"Mr. Potter, I understand that something terrible happened to you today, but I was curious how you appeared here, of all places? Could you indulge an old woman?" Kikyou smiled with glittering eyes that Harry enjoyed looking at. They were very pretty.

"You don't look old," he said simply and honestly. She smiled wider at that, a hint of a fang showing while she tilted her head a bit in a nod at his unintended compliment. "I really don't know, I was trying to find my uncle, aunt, Dudley, someone I knew. I was alone and scared and then suddenly things got dark and I appeared on that mountain road. I walked for a while until I started feeling tired, and saw a weird glittery tree. That's the last thing I remember." To be honest, he still felt very tired, and was getting more so the more they spoke.

"You say you appeared there? Where were you before you appeared on the road?" Kikyou asked, never stopping her stroking hand.

"Not sure how to say it. Q toe?" Harry asked, still looking into her eyes, even as his began to droop.

"Kyoto, maybe? Lots of tall buildings everywhere?" Kikyou asked, and Harry nodded.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for answering my questions. Why don't you get some rest and we'll continue tomorrow, alright?" His eyes finally closed, he nodded in acceptance. Today was a very strange day, and he'd have questions of his own once he awoke. But for now, he let sleep claim him once more.

* * *

AN: Hey everyone, I'm back! Sort of… Trying to get back into the writing thing after a long absence. My muse up and left me for a younger model and it's just not been the same since. To be serious though, I've had a lot of family problems with illness and job worries so I've just not been in the right mental place to write. Still, this idea wouldn't leave me be so I decided to start working on it and see what happened. I do have to mention that the original inspiration for something like this was Chapter 125 Ore No Nihon from Rorschach's Blot's Odd Ideas story. If anyone wants some occasionally fascinating work and hilarious Luna action, I'd definitely take a hop skip and jump through that sometime. Still, this will be my own interpretation of the whole 'raised by others in Japan' thing. Thoughts? Questions? Hit me up, and thanks for reading.

Also, about my previous works, I'm very sorry about not providing an update for them first, but I've been out of the Ranma mood for a while now. Still, I don't like to leave things half done, so I'll definitely have a mind to continue them, especially Kasumi. Just give me some time (like I haven't already had enough!) to get back into writing and I'll try to update those as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter or kitsune related.

"English"

"Japanese"

_Thoughts_

Kikyou sat at the Ninomiya family dinner table, unblinking even as her tea met her lips, the steaming mixture unsuccessful in rousing her from thoughts and ideas whirling around her at the speed of light. So many questions, and yet they were unable to pry much more from the boy before he fell back asleep, exhausted no doubt from… well, the sickness from earlier most likely, but—

"Kaa-chan!" A voice crowed close to her, snapping her from her ruminations. Kiyoko sat at the same table, her tea abandoned in front of her while her eyes were focused directly on her, insistent.

"Yes, Yoko-chan?" Kikyou knew the twitch in her daughter's left eyebrow was coming, and smiled slightly when it did. Honestly, when things went crazy around you simply take delight in the little things to keep calm.

"Kaa-chan, what's going on? What happened to Riko-nee and that boy? Why did she suddenly grow a sixth tail all of a sudden and why did it hurt so bad? Why—" she stopped when Kikyou raised her hand in order to stop her spiel from continuing.

"Yoko, if you want your questions answered you must let me speak," Kikyou spoke softly, with a hint of amusement twinkling in her red eyes. Taking a breath, she continued. "I only have my suspicions, as it only happened a few minutes ago and I've not yet spoken to Kiriko, but my belief is that she somehow connected her life to that boy." Kiyoko's eyes flew wide at that, her mouth now gaping in surprise.

"What do you mean by 'connected her life?' Is nee-san that boy's slave now or something?" she growled lightly at the end, eyes flashing with ill intent advertised deep within them. Kikyou shook her head in response, however.

"Nothing like that. Hmm, how to explain," she wondered momentarily, tapping a slender finger on her lips in thought. "Think of this like a mutual connection to each other. If this is indeed what happened, he'll become the most important person to her, and he to her—to a lesser extent, anyway."

"Lesser extent?" Kiyoko spoke slightly breathless, trying to take in how her sister may be changed by this revelation. Kikyou was sure if she was fully together she'd be growling at the thought the boy wouldn't find her sister the most important person equally.

"Yes, to a lesser extent. Kiriko initiated this, well, let's call it a bond for arguments sake, so it will be stronger to her as it came _from_ her. Not to mention, this boy is no yōkai, he will not have had made the instinctual connection like she seems to have, if her words were any indication," she spoke distractedly, still thinking as she spoke. Pausing for a moment to check her senses again, she nodded in certainty, wondering how this would affect everything. "Still, that's not to say it won't form fully in time for him. Unless I'm mistaken, I've figured out at least partially how he got here." This got her daughter to finally snap out of her distraction.

"Oh? How so?" Kiyoko tilted her head in slight wonderment, tinged with a furrowed brow. "I thought only kitsune could pass through our barrier, at least without some serious work." Kikyou nodded in acceptance of this fact. A young boy should not have been able to get through the barrier simply by crawling through it, though she was starting to have a sneaking suspicion a higher power was at work here—considering what occurred to Kiriko.

"I'm still unsure as to how he passed through it, but I meant more how he could go from downtown Kyoto to here within what couldn't have been five minutes difference. Despite the rain, it hadn't quite darkened to night yet. Such a walk would be impossible for one so young in so short a time," Kikyou explained reasonably, taking a moment to sip her cooling tea while her daughter processed what she'd said. Finally she nodded quickly.

"That's right, he'd said his… _relations_ told him to return at sun down," Kikyou noted the growl that emphasized when she spoke of the boy's relatives with approval in her eyes. Such was her feelings on the matter as well. "So, how'd he do it? If I recall right he said things got dark and then he was on the road near us? How is that possible for a normal human?"

"Because I don't think he _is_ a normal human," Kikyou spoke quickly, noting the widening eyes of her daughter but pushed onward. "I think he's a magic user, a very young, ignorant magic user at that."

"How can you be a magic user but be ignorant of it?" Kiyoko questioned with a confused pout. Really, her daughter was quite adorable at times, wasn't she? Kikyou smiled at the expression before continuing.

"Simple. Just as there are geniuses and other human's born with natural abilities that eclipse others of their species, so too are those who are born with the innate ability to use magic." Her face darkened a moment in recollection to what Harry had told them. "In fact, I'm sure of it. Remember how he spoke of his relatives calling him a freak? I bet they knew, and hated him for it." She sniffed in contempt. Really, such an ugly display of jealousy for the unique abilities of others. Disgusting.

"Ah, so you think that's how he got to the road? Some type of accidental magic caused by panic? And how he could see the barrier?" Kikyou noted, smiling at Kiyoko's critical thinking.

"Yes, I'm sure that in his distress he accidentally moved from where he was to another place. And as our barrier is magical, I'm sure it stood out from the rest of the wood on the side of the road. A glittering tree would look quite inviting so someone on their last legs, about to pass out, I'm sure."

Nodding, Kiyoko looked away from her mother toward the other room's doorway where Harry and her sister lay, concern marring every inch of her beautiful face. "Still, that doesn't explain how he managed to pass through it. More accidental magic?" Kikyou simply shrugged, it wasn't like she knew any better. Might have been that, maybe it was Inari's will. After all, why did he travel to _this_ spot, of all places in Kyoto? Why not back to his dreaded relatives, which is who he was looking for in the first place?

"Still, this may complicate things for your sister. It will be interesting to see how this affects the bond she created," Kikyou intoned softly, following her daughter's gaze to the other room where the two of them slept. She had to admit, it'd been awhile since she'd seen Kiriko so at peace, even in sleep. Despite the insanity that brought it forth, it was nice to see. She saw from the corner of her eye Kiyoko swinging her head around to look at her own, slight fear prevalent in the stare.

"What do you mean by 'complicate' kaa-chan?" Kikyou blinked, thinking it obvious. _Though, maybe I forgot to tell her about that aspect of kitsune?_

"Well, now that I think about it I don't know if you would have known, but this kind of thing isn't exactly unheard of." Kiyoko raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly. "The bond part, I mean. There have been cases where kitsune—and indeed other yōkai as well—who've created connections to other yōkai and even humans at times. Sometimes it's meant in payment of a debt, other times the two individuals are incredibly compatible. I know it's actually not that rare of an occurrence in the yuki-onna culture." Kikyou found her daughter captivated by the topic and smiled back at her interest.

"How rare has it been for kitsune? I mean it sounds like you're saying it differs between the yōkai you're talking about," Kiyoko asked, while taking a sip of her tea, blanching at its cold temperature. Rolling her eyes, Kikyou snapped her fingers, and small blue fires appeared above both teacups, reheating the liquid inside.

"Yes, it depends. But as far as kitsune are concerned, it's quite rare. I think the last connection I recall forming was at least fifty or sixty years ago in Hokkaido. It turned out somewhere in her line they had wronged the human's family, so in repayment she was bonded to him. Caused quite an uproar if I do recall—she'd been from a prominent family."

"So this is rare for us, but why would it complicate things for nee-san, Harry-kun being, well, magical?" Kikyou hummed, and seeing the flame disappear, knew the tea was back to temperature. Grasping the cup, she stood.

"Let's go check on your sister and Harry-kun, as you say," Kikyou said with a smile, enjoying the slight blush that formed on Kiyoko's face. _Really, that girl is so easy to tease_.

She grabbed her cup as well, and they moved toward the doorway, exiting to a small hallway that then connected to the large statue/prayer room. Entering, she stopped when she saw her daughter's form, almost resisting the urge to coo. She'd curled up directly next to Harry, who'd turned toward her in his sleep, her arms around his head and pulling him into her cleavage, still fast asleep.

"Don't they look cute, hmm?" she said quietly when Kiyoko had joined her. Kiyoko giggled at the sight, knowing she'd be teasing her sister about this later.

Fetching two zabutons, they spread the cushions on the floor slightly away from the slumbering pair but close enough to keep an eye on them. Once comfy, Kikyou thought about the last question her daughter had asked and decided to answer as best she could.

"You are aware of course that most of the powers we use come from our yōki, or our demon energy as it's been coined, correct?" As an example, she held her hand up and forced her power to her head, creating a solid floating ball of purple energy, crackling and sparking as if she held a strange form of electricity. In response, Kiyoko nodded, as always extremely impressed by her mother's level of control. "However, what you may not know is that we are also beings of magic. We're not strictly demon's as it were, we can simply use this type of energy that's different from how magic works. Our fire after all is not hellfire, which is something a true demon would use." Her daughter nodded emphatically, fascinated by the topic at hand.

"Right! We use kitsune-bi, which is typically blue or red, depending on the heat," Kiyoko intoned as she remembered it from her lessons. She'd not been able to create any yet, but Kikyou was confident she'd be able to manage by her third tail. Nodding, Kikyou continued.

"That's correct, so in that while we call ourselves yōkai, or what has been commonly noted as demons, we're actually a wide range of beings who can be any range of bad or good and anywhere in between. Still, as I said we're also beings of magic. Our illusions require magic to perform, we simply funnel it through our use of yōki. Were I out of magic for some reason, but still had plenty of yōki, I would still be unable to cast a single illusion."

"Wow, I never knew—so wait, is this why it'd be different for nee-san with Harry-kun?" Kikyou smiled wide and nodded again, her eyes still on the slumbering couple. The Inari statue above seemed to bless them, its hands forming the symbol for universal prayer.

"That's right, daughter mine. While I have heard of bonds between kitsune and humans before, I've never once heard of a connection between a kitsune and a magical human. I've no idea what the ramifications of such a thing will be." Nodding at the pair she sipped her tea again, finishing the cup and set it aside to simply watch the sleeping pair, knowing that Kiyoko even now was wondering too what effect this would have on their small family. A family that for all intents and purposes seems to have grown by another member, if she and Kiriko had any say about it.

"So, if we have magic, why don't we try to take control of that and use it like we do our yōki? Would make sense to exploit another resource right?" Kiyoko postulated, more thinking out loud than anything. Kikyou sighed, gaining the attention of her daughter though she refused to meet her eyes.

"It's better if you do not." She paused, wondering if she should say anymore, but figured a warning without reason would fall on deaf ears. "There was once a kitsune who swore to do so, to combine her yōki and magic in such a way that she'd create a whole new energy source. Taking the wild power of yōki and combining with the calm but unpredictable force that is magic, she worked for hundreds of years, even reaching the nine tailed state we kitsune cherished so much." Kikyou paused, wishing she could take a sip of her now drunk tea to hold off on saying anymore of this subject, but Kiyoko took her brief silence as such and spurred her on.

"What happened to her? Did she succeed?" Kikyou shrugged a little, causing Kiyoko to scoff in disbelief that her mother would start a story and leave it unfinished.

"No one knows. When she began making her reappearance she was much changed from who she'd been beforehand. She'd always been a huge prankster as we kitsune are known to be, but she'd become brutal in her tricks, most often ending in the death of human and yōkai alike for whoever crossed her path. Her sheer maliciousness and abject cruelty warned off those who thought to attempt like she did, wondering if it was something about her or the process that turned her into what she became."

Nodding, Kiyoko seemed to be puzzling the idea while Kikyou had begun to find the floor fascinating, her thoughts once again returning distant. And again, she was broken from them by the question she feared would come.

"Who was she? Have I ever heard of her?" Closing her eyes, Kikyou wondered if there was a way to remove herself from this discussion without simply lying or refusing to answer her daughter. Luckily, she got her break.

A groan echoed from across the way, coming from the resting pair, and quickly the question became forgotten as the two of them scrambled over to see the awakening Kiriko.

* * *

_Ugh, what was the number of that truck that hit me_? Kiriko wondered while she stirred, wondering why she felt so stiff but also comfy at the same time. Her eyes fluttered open, and found she was in the main hall's prayer room, Inari loomed above her in silent watch. Blinking a few times to get her wits about her, she started to move before she noticed something was amiss. Following to where her arms were, she found them wrapped around a small head of wild black hair that seemed to be burrowed in her cleavage. She almost shouted before she realized with her arms around his head she must have pulled him there.

"Well, I see you two became close quite quickly, eh Riko-chan?" Her sister's voice broke the silence, and suddenly she wished she were anywhere else in the world than here hugging a small child into her breasts.

"Now now, let's give them time to speak for themselves before we jump to conclusions daughter, I'm sure it's all innocent." Her mother as well, wonderful.

Slowly untangling herself from the previously sick boy, she pulled him away from her to reset him back on the futon, him groaning in the loss of what she assumed was her body heat before she sat up. She wanted to make some kind of sarcastic comment at the teasing pair, but really she was so spacey right now she decided to simply find out what in Inari's name was going on here.

"What happened?" She questioned, her mother and sister coming into focus after rubbing away the sleep in her eyes.

"Well, I believe you just connected yourself to this boy here." Kiriko stopped mid-yawn and blinked a few times at her mother's statement. "At least I'm pretty sure that's what you did when you said 'I am yours, boy. Yours forever, as you are mine. Never forget this vow' right before smooching him." Gaping at her, Kiriko quickly turned back to the slumbering child in question and promptly melted.

His face looked much healthier than he had hours before, and his soft features were even more relaxed in sleep than earlier if she remembered right. His black hair stuck up everywhere like a bird's nest, but it was almost stylish that way. She stroked the fringe with her hand just as she had hours before, softly cooing at the adorable creature before her. Blinking for a moment at her own actions, she realized that her mother was right; all that mattered to her right now was his safety and happiness.

"You're right, I feel it deep inside that he's precious to me, and I'm absolutely thrilled about it. Does that make any sense?" Kiriko asked, surprised by how much she didn't care that she was now bound to this child. No, if she had to pin down an emotion she'd say she felt extremely happy about the outcome and extremely protective of the young one.

"No daughter, not to me. But then I've never bonded, so I'm sure it's absolutely fine." Kiriko nodded, not once looking away from the child, _her_ child now… and realized she didn't even know his name.

"What's his name?" She asked softly, her eyes still drinking in his soft but too thin features, knowing his story probably wasn't the happiest one.

"Harry Potter, or as Kiyoko already calls him, Harry-kun," Kikyou intoned with a slight giggle at the end, listening to her daughter's soft Hey!

"Harry Potter," Kiriko said, trailing off. If they kept talking over him he was going to wake up eventually, and he definitely needed his sleep. With some reluctance, she stopped stroking Harry's hair in attempting to stand, and did so albeit wobbly. Something felt off, but she couldn't really put it to what it was until she felt additional weight behind her. Which kicked in her memory, thankfully.

"Oh my, I forgot! I got another tail too!" She exclaimed softly, extremely happy about advancing past her mother. Such was a long term goal she'd finally realized, though thinking about it the whole thing felt rather flat as she didn't achieve it working her fur off like she'd hoped.

"Yes, very impressive my daughter. I knew you would surpass me one day, though I had no idea you'd do it bonding to a four year old. Really, who knew!" Her mother giggled into her kimono's sleeve, leaving Kiriko to groan slightly. Even when she win's her mother makes it feel like a loss.

Moving away from Harry's futon, the girls fetched another pot of tea from the kitchen before returning to the prayer room. Kiriko wasted no time, wanting to know everything they'd heard from Harry. Needless to say, she was not impressed when she heard about what his relatives had said and done to him.

"I'll kill them. I'll burn them alive, using my lowest heat, simply for it to last just that much longer…" she intoned slowly, rage completely encompassing her. Kikyou shivered, no doubt intimidated by the cold tone and torture being described, but Kiriko didn't care. No one hurt her Harry!

"Dear, perhaps you should speak to Harry-kun first before you go off murdering some humans," Kikyou suggested lightly. She glared at her mother, but then considered the fact and nodded. Harry might not be happy about her being a murderer. She'll have to simply think of some other method of recompense.

"We're keeping him, I hope you know," Kiriko said slowly, her eyes still narrowed though she was no heat in her glare now. She was simply saying how it was, and expected her mother to agree.

"Of course, daughter. Even if he hadn't bonded you, there's no way I as a woman could turn away such a dear onto the street after having met him. No, the Ninomiya's now have a son, the last name will simply be different." Kikyou nodded, smiling as Kiriko lost her glare and beamed at her mother.

"Do you think we should call someone, kaa-chan?" Kiyoko asked, looking toward the small boy snuggling in his futon. "I mean, despite him looking better from earlier, he's still extremely thin. Has he had any treatment meant for humans at all? With the way his relatives were, I wouldn't put anything pas them." Kiriko growled lightly at the mention of those monsters, before thinking about what Kiyoko had said. She was right! What if something was wrong with him and they couldn't tell!

"Do not fear, Kiriko. I've already thought about that. We shall call for Suzaku-dono," Kikyou nodded, as if all had been solved by the very idea.

"But mother, that could take years!" Kiriko worried, biting her lower lip in concern for her Harry. "What if—"

"Peace, daughter. He seems fine now. I spoke to him earlier and he was merely exhausted, no doubt from his earlier adventure and then bonding a precocious kitsune." Kiriko glared at her mother for that comment, but she simply smiled.

"Trust me dear, I have a feeling that he was meant to come here today. Inari-sama would not let any harm come to him. Let us prepare to get Suzaku-dono's attention, and he shall come when he's needed." Sighing, Kiriko figured her mother had a point, and brightened at the thought that Harry was meant to be hers. It was a pleasant thought, though she didn't much like the dual grins coming from both her mother and sister. Annoying kitsune.

* * *

AN: Another chapter down, this is crazy! No updates since 2011 and now twice in two days! It's madness, complete unadulterated madness!

But seriously, it's mostly me seeing how far this idea is going to go. I'm looking forward to jumping forward a bit, planning out what, if any, abilities he'll get simply by being bonded to a super hot kitsune, besides the obvious benefit (see the words right before that last thought). Mostly pantsing this idea right now, but I'm enjoying it. Let me know what you guys think! Til later.


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